Lord Shadow

‘Impudent brat!’ The Red Hair woman Magus shouted as she crushed a vial and blood seeps into her hands.

She waved her hand and people could feel the air around the square changes.

From a cool temperate temperature the square turns into a place of biting cold. Azul then find himself floating upwards and upwards.

Like his body being pushed upwards by an invisible force, clutching him from the ground.

And before he knows it he is higher than a two story building, below his feet is nothing but air

If he is dropped from that height he would surely die. And if that is not enough the magic seems to be messing with his mind.

Azul will himself to be awake even when the magic is clearly trying to affect his mind to sleep.

Azul even decided if worst comes to worst he would nick himself and use his own blood to use magic.

What is more important that his life rather than the fear the Church finds out he could use Blood Magic?

Up in the air, Azul could see the despair and the fury of his father in the stand. He could see his older brother gloating at his fate.

His brother never liked the fact that he seems close with the peasantry.

Azul however had something in his heart more important than the acknowledgement of his family.

It was never something he strived for anyway.

He could not allow that feeling of family bring him down. What is right is right and what is wrong is wrong.

This conviction crystallized and Azief who is flying to the air and watch Azul beside him could feel another shackle is being broken.

Enlightenment…does that means letting go? Or….finding something more worthwhile? Is that the only answer?

To let go?

What Azul didn’t see is how his act of rebellion against the Church authority, his act today of defying the inviolable image of invincibility of the Church has emboldened the peasant on the square.

The two Magus on the stand also began to notice this. They become pale as they could see the way the peasant look at them changed. They were no longer afraid or meek.

They could see it. Anger. Hatred in those eyes.

But the Magus acted too late, overconfident of the Avenger ability to bring down the kid thus making this situation.

But to be honest it is not really overconfidence.

If this was any other kid, how could they battle with three Avenger of the Church and even knock them out cold like Azul?

Who could have thought his talent in fighting is this powerful? With his skill if he went to Ashaya he could even be given a post in the Imperial Guard.

Seeing that Azul brought down the Avenger of the Church single handedly has given the peasant the courage they were lacking and at the same time the taste for vengeance.

As the tradesmen, nobles , distinguished person at the edges of the town square scatter and flee as they felt the way the situation unfolding slowly turning into a riot, the crowd of peasant, walk forward, their eyes red, and their heart firm and strong, surges forward to the stand with an animal like roar.

They are charging the stand

The Avenger of the Church on the stand panicked to be charged by a mob since they never encounter such situation.

‘ARGHH!’

‘KILL THEM!’ The shouting of the mob drown any scolding the Avenger shouted at them

No matter how powerful the Red hair Magus, it is on the basis of her blood vials that she could uses magic to deter the peasants and the people that want to do her harm.

The Magus plainly don’t have enough blood vials to fuel magic more complicated than throwing people and objects around.

There is not enough blood to contain this charging mob

They could not turn the tide of this mob through magic alone. The Magus is seen using her hands to fling people away from the stand

Ymir hides below the stand looking an opportunity. He already sent Erena to an uncle he knows. He needs to avenge his childhood friend or his heart would not be at ease.

‘Kill that Magus!’ One of the blacksmith shouted as he throws a huge boulder at the red hair Magus.

She crushes another vial of blood and she waves her hand as the boulder exploded and dust covered the area.

As the Magus could not concentrate on Azul who is on the air right now, her grip on her magic towards Azul weakens and Azul plunged down to the ground.

‘By Thonos!’ Azul shouted

Azul grimaced and bite his finger and blood comes out from his wound.

‘This is it. All or nothing.’

The area below is in chaos, shouting and screaming is the only noise that could be heard. No one would realize what he is doing right now.

The blood seeps into his finger and Azul concentrate his mind as he could feel the energy around him, like a force that surrounds everything.

And he wills that force to stop.

To stop him.

To stop the force that pushing him down.

Just before he falls down to his death, he stop in the air for a few seconds, dispersing the force that would crush him if he falls down for that height

For three seconds he floats a few feet from the ground before the magic lost its effectiveness.

Azul then landed on the ground safely

‘That was close’ he said to himself as he looks around him, confident no one saw what he was doing.

He look at his left and right and smile in satisfaction as no one saw what he had done.

Amidst the screaming and the chaos and the fighting around the stand against the authority of the Church

The Shurley riots.

The crowd of peasant is going to reach the stand. On the podium nearby the stand the nobles are all pale.

The peasant does not understand why the nobles are pale and they would hardly care but Azul understand the nobles fear.

The wrath of the Church must not be underestimated.

Azul need to make the choice. The mob seems to lose all reason in their anger and now that the spark of rebellion has been ignited in their heart it is hard to extinguish it.

Standing there it was like time slowed for Azul.

He could see the fighting, the Avengers being beaten down, the people climbing the stand and the people rushing to lynch the Churchmen.

Then he knows this is the time for him to make the choice. It is now or never.

***